Bad Reputation
by MyFavouriteObsession
Summary: Zoe Rivas is used to being thought of as the school slut, feeling concerned only when the rumours intensify and she thinks it might harm her chance at making friends with Esme Song: her mysterious new classmate. Eventual Zesme, and some characters are probably a little OOC (Zoe's assault did not happen)


"Did you hear what she did?"

"Oh my god yeah, and I heard he was like, thirty."

"Ew she's such a whore."

I pretend not to hear these whispers and bite back a smile as I make my way through the hallway. Everybody thinks that these comments bother me; they don't understand why I'm so okay with being thought of like this, and it's hard to explain that I'd rather have a bad reputation than no reputation at all.

"Hey, Zoe!" I turn to see my friend Shay running up to greet me, looking as flustered and overworked as usual. "Did you do the Spanish homework?" I search my mind for the answer, a relieved smile spreading across my face as I recall frantically completing it last night.

"Yeah, I finished it at like ten to midnight." I answer with a small laugh which she returns nervously; she isn't a fan of my save- it- till- the- night- before method and always seems uncomfortable when I mention it due to her tendency to do every piece of homework the same night it's assigned. I'm about to ask if she knows whether Mr Perino's back from sick leave or not, when Frankie Hollingsworth (the bitchiest girl in our year, whose one aim in life is to turn everyone in school against me) struts past us with her two sidekicks, Lola and Yael, trailing behind.

"Oh look, it's the slut." She whispers softly as she passes me, too quiet for anyone else to overhear.

I roll my eyes and ignore the giggles from her cronies as I continue walking with Shay. We reach the classroom for our first lesson of the day, her chattering amicably as I try to concentrate on her words and not on how I'm going to have to continue keeping this rumour from her; she's too innocent to know the bad decisions I've made, and those that people assume I've made.

"So then my mum started panicking and we all had to help tidy it up!" She finishes, unable to stop herself from laughing as we enter the room. "I'll tell you more after!" I nod and smile as I take my seat and she makes her way to the other side of the room to her assigned place.

"Hey there, Zoe." Tristan- my other friend- greets, sliding into his seat beside me. "You'll never believe what I just heard-"

"Class, hi!" He's cut off by Ms Barlow- the substitute who's been taking our class for the past few months- walking in with her ever- present smile. "Yes, you've got me here today and," she produces a sombrero from underneath the desk before continuing in a- not- very- convincing Spanish accent, "I'm kinda still tipsy thanks to my minor alcohol binge that I had at five o clock this morning, so am willing to let you do whatever you want as long as I can continue sipping my vodka with you guys pretending not to notice. Deal?"

We all nod and murmur our agreement, aside from Shay who looks steadily down at her books, refusing to make eye contact with the teacher; she disagrees completely with Ms Barlow's methods and would much prefer having an actual lesson rather than some time to relax. Tristan turns back to me.

"Well I was in the boy's bathroom this morning- using a stall of course-" he begins hurriedly. "and I heard Zig talking about this couple that supposedly hooked up around the back of The Dot last night. You know how caught up I get in all the trashy gossip that goes around our school so of course I listening for all I was worth when Tiny Bell- that guy with the mohawk- said that he'd heard about that, and it was apparently you and some old dude."

I look into his eyes for a few seconds silently, hoping to find some hint that could suggest he's joking.

"You're taking the piss, right?" I ask hopefully, for once being unable to read his expression. "People don't really think I'd have sex behind The Dot?"

"I'm sorry Zo," Tristan says, biting his lip. "But I thought I should tell you and, you know, I wanted to check it wasn't true."

"What do you mean, check?" I demand. "I thought you'd know I wouldn't do anything like that. You're like the only one who doesn't believe the shit that people are saying!"

"Well that's what I thought at first Zoe." He replies defensively, combing his fingers through his hair. "But the way people are talking... it's hard not to take notice."

"Oh my God." I mutter, shaking my head; I didn't think that Tristan of all people would start to believe the gossip that goes around. He's the one who's stood by me for the past year, since all of this started. It feels like so long ago now though.

" _But I'm three months late!" I hiss to my best friend. We're stood in the practically empty hallway during our lunch break and I'm unable to stop myself from hyperventilating. "And I've gained weight and I've been throwing up! I thought it was just stress but oh my god, what if I am?"_

" _Wait, I thought you were joking." She says, raising her eyebrows. "So you seriously could be?"_

 _I shrug my shoulders. "Well I've got like every symptom! Random aches, nausea, I'm even having marzipan cravings!" I hiss. "And I hate marzipan!" I know I'm over- reacting; I've only had sex twice and used protection both times, I made sure of it, but it's still a terrifying thought._

" _Oh my god. I can't believe you!" She squeals, before meeting my warning gaze and lowering her voice to a whisper once again. "You dark horse, you!"_

 _I raise my eyebrows at the expression and bite my lip, still anxious about the small chance of me really carrying a baby; my mom would kill me and there's no chance she'd believe that I was careful._

" _Frankie!" I whine. "I'm serious, what the hell am I going to do?!"_

After the conversation, I'd gone to my first class after lunch and, by the end of it, it seemed like everyone had heard about my dilemma. Frankie swore she hadn't told anyone but I could tell by her flickering eyes and the amount of times her message tone went off that she was lying; she must have mass texted half the school. Since then we'd drifted apart, leaving me with only Shay, who Frankie had always detested and who I tried to hide things like this from.

Tristan had moved here a few weeks later and started to hang around with me, ignoring all the rumours. I confessed to him that I'd only slept with that one guy- Jason- and I just left the rest of the school to think whatever they wanted about me. I mean, at least I was being thought of. He'd accepted that readily enough and since then we'd been laughing at the rumours together. Shay though, she had no idea.


End file.
